July, 19, 2011: My thoughts and prayers go out to Cardinal Rigali as he makes this transition in his life. I respect the Cardinal very much and recognize the positive impact he has made in the history of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He came into a very difficult situation and I think he tried to do what he thought was best for the Church. I’m not going to comment on the findings of the Grand Jurors, but I will say that Cardinal Rigali’s response to their report has been constructive. Rather than attacking the messengers, he has listened to their criticisms. I understand that he has initiated changes that should help to protect Philadelphia’s children and better serve victims going forward. I commend him for promptly removing over 20 priests with outstanding allegations of improper relations with minors after the latest Grand Jury investigation was announced, and I applaud his efforts to re-examine those cases thoroughly. I hope that Archbishop Chaput follows through on these initiatives, and I look forward to working with him in the future.
